The 2008 season of Meistriliiga, the first level in the Estonian football system, was the 18th season in the league's history. It began on 8 March 2008 and ended on 15 November 2008. The defending champions were Levadia.

Meistriliiga
Season2008
ChampionsLevadia
(6th title)
RelegatedVaprus
TVMK
Champions LeagueLevadia
Europa LeagueFlora
Narva Trans
Kalju
Matches played180
Goals scored639 (3.55 per match)
Top goalscorerIngemar Teever (23)
Biggest home winTVMK 8–0 Tallinna Kalev
Biggest away winTulevik 0–8 Flora
Highest scoringVaprus 3–10 TVMK
2007
2009

Promotion and relegation

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10th placed Ajax were directly relegated after the end of the previous season. Since reserve squads are not allowed to be promoted to Meistriliiga, third placed Esiliiga team Sillamäe Kalev were directly promoted to 2008 Meistriliiga.

Kuressaare (9th placed Meistriliiga team) and Kalju (6th placed Esiliiga team) competed in promotion/relegation play-offs for one spot in 2008 Meistriliiga. The aggregate score was 2–2 and Nõmme Kalju were promoted due to scoring more away goals.

Clubs and venues

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Team Location Stadium Capacity Manager
Flora Tallinn A. Le Coq Arena 9,300   Pasi Rautiainen
Kalju Tallinn Hiiu Stadium 500   Getúlio Fredo
Levadia Tallinn Kadriorg Stadium 5,000[1]   Igor Prins
Maag Tammeka Tartu Tartu Tamme Stadium 1,500[2]   Sergei Zamogilnõi
Sillamäe Kalev Sillamäe Sillamäe Kalev Stadium 800   Vadym Dobizha
Tallinna Kalev Tallinn Kalev Keskstaadion 11,500[3]   Aavo Sarap
Narva Trans Narva Kreenholm Stadium 1,065[4]   Aleksei Yagudin
Tulevik Viljandi Viljandi linnastaadion 1,084[5]   Marko Lelov
TVMK Tallinn Kadriorg Stadium 5,000[1]   Sergei Ratnikov
Vaprus Pärnu Pärnu Kalev Stadium 1,900   Ants Kommussaar

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Levadia (C) 36 29 6 1 105 22 +83 93 Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round
2 Flora 36 28 7 1 113 28 +85 91 Qualification for Europa League second qualifying round[a]
3 Narva Trans 36 16 8 12 62 54 +8 56 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
4 Kalju 36 16 7 13 65 64 +1 55
5 Sillamäe Kalev 36 13 6 17 49 79 −30 45
6 Tulevik 36 9 4 23 31 74 −43 31[b]
7 Maag Tammeka 36 9 4 23 45 76 −31 31[b]
8 Tallinna Kalev 36 6 8 22 37 70 −33 26
9 Vaprus (R) 36 5 2 29 41 125 −84 17 Qualification for relegation play-off
10 TVMK[c] (R) 36 20 6 10 91 47 +44 66 Relegation to Esiliiga
Source: Estonian Football Association (in Estonian)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) number of wins; 3) head-to-head points; 4) head-to-head goal difference; 5) head-to-head goals scored; 6) goal difference; 7) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Flora won the 2008–09 Estonian Cup and qualified for second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Therefore, Nõmme Kalju, fourth-placed team and cup runners-up, earned a spot in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
  2. ^ a b TUL: 6 pts, 7–5; M-T: 6 pts, 5–7
  3. ^ On 6 November 2008, the Estonian Football Association decided not to grant TVMK a license to play in Meistriliiga or Esiliiga, due to financial difficulties during the season. The Estonian Football Association allowed them to play until the end of the season and as they finished in third place, the players and coaches received bronze medals, but the club itself was dropped to 10th place.[6][7] TVMK were eventually disbanded.

Relegation play-off

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Vaprus and Esiliiga side Paide Linnameeskond competed in a two-legged relegation play-off for one spot in 2009 Meistriliiga. Aggregate score was 5–5 and Paide Linnameeskond secured their place in 2009 Meistriliiga because they scored more away goals (3–1).

Paide Linnameeskond2–1Vaprus
Polyansky   22' (o.g.)
Ellram   67'
Report
(in Estonian)
Kovalenko   90'
Attendance: 150
Referee: Ainar Kuusk

Vaprus4–3Paide Linnameeskond
Joost   48'
Pakk   70', 75'
Polyansky   72'
Report
(in Estonian)
Saar   13'
Voolaid   43'
Ellram   65'
Attendance: 100
Referee: Jaan Roos

Results

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Each team played every opponent four times, twice at home and twice on the road, for a total of 36 games.

Season statistics

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Top scorers

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Rank Player Club Goals[8]
1   Ingemar Teever Kalju 23
2   Nikita Andreev Levadia 22
3   Sander Post Flora 19
4   Jarmo Ahjupera Flora 17
  Felipe Nunes Kalju
6   Tarmo Kink Levadia 16
7   Henri Anier Flora 15
  Indrek Zelinski Levadia
9   Irfan Ametov Sillamäe Kalev 13
  Artjom Dmitrijev TVMK
  Vladislav Gussev TVMK
  Nikolai Lõsanov Narva Trans

Awards

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Monthly awards

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Month Manager of the Month Player of the Month
Manager Club Player Club
March[9]   Getúlio Fredo Kalju   Sander Post Flora
April[9]   Igor Prins Levadia   Ingemar Teever Kalju
May[9]   Pasi Rautiainen Flora   Konstantin Nahk Levadia
June[9]   Igor Prins Levadia   Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko Flora
July[9]   Pasi Rautiainen Flora   Mihhail Starodubtsev Sillamäe Kalev
August[9]   Igor Prins Levadia   Juha Hakola Flora
September[9]   Vadym Dobizha Sillamäe Kalev   Tarmo Kink Levadia
October[9]   Aleksei Yagudin Narva Trans   Marek Lemsalu Levadia

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Kadrioru Staadion" (in Estonian). Eesti Spordiregister.
  2. ^ "Tartu Tamme staadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  3. ^ "Kalevi Keskstaadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  4. ^ "Narva Kreenholmi staadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  5. ^ "Viljandi linnastaadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  6. ^ FC TVMK meeskonnad langesid Meistri- ja Esiliigast välja. Archived 2009-06-21 at the Wayback Machine (in Estonian)
  7. ^ TVMK kadumine ulatas Vaprusele õlekõrre (in Estonian)
  8. ^ "MÄNGUDE AJALUGU" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h "Oktoobri parimad Lemsalu ja Jagudin". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). 31 October 2008.
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